Thread protector



p 7, 1943- T. R. THOREN ET AL 2,329,165

THREAD PROTECTOR Filed Feb. 27, 1942 l in the groove of a, thread.

on the mouth of a port H. The cover member the outer face of the disk the cup projects some- I 3 has an elongated screwdriverslot l3a therewhat rinwardly from the inner face of the disk through whereby a screwdriver may bei 'readily as best shown in Figure 6. Thecup l8 defines inserted into the cover to rotate the protector a pocket l9 into which a screwdriver or other tool into seated position in the threaded'opening 1 for rotating the disk can be inserted. Alterna- A frusto-conical or otherwise dished fibe tively, of course, if the disk I! is thick enough board disk I4 of less thicknessthan the cover I 3 it cbuld'be scored partially therethrough to dehas a flat head Ma at the. apex thereofv affixed.v fine the tool receiving recess.

to the center of the cover fdiskjfi by mea ders. I f .''-If the disk is thin enough to define a periph-. metal staple orother fastenerwli. Thejhead'llla eral edgejwhich will fit into the groove of a serves as a base which fits fiat on the disk l3 thread, theysameneed not be beveled as at Ha. andextends over the slot l3a to cover the slot. The protector I6 shown in Figures 5 and 6 The frusto-conical or otherwise dished member operatesin the same manner as the member l4 M has a peripheral edgel lb adapted to'be seated of the protector l2 The protector l6, however, e 13 does not include a cover adaptedto engage the Theme nberxld ha s a radiallylinwardly em mouth of a port but itjis insertable into the tending cut" Mc extending] fromf-the edge' 14b "grooveof a thread and,- when-seated on1y iri the to Jthe flat'headjorbase Illa This. cut 140 proouter groove of this thread,itfwillprotectfall videsla leading edglfld 'to the groQ e-engaging the underlying innerfstructure of' any internally periphery]l4b.1Theleadingedge l4d isreadily threaded parts. v 4

in'sertible'in'the groove of a' thread and will draw @Both embodiments of theinvelntion' disclosed .the'r'est of the peripheralfedge [4b intofthe in 'the drawi ng are very inexpensive and are groove'of the thread as theprotec'tor isrotated. "thus adapted for disposal aiter a single use. The member is sufficiently.fleitiblesoithat,the f It will, of course, be understoo v t w peripheral edge' Mb thereof iwilljflex into icondetails of construction may be varied through a formity with th'epit'ch 'oflthe'thread -witliftheire wide ran e Without depa tin om t e insult that after theper'ipheral edgjlflb'has been ciples of this invention and it is, therefore, not

completelylseated I in .the' gro6v" of the thread the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon the Ieadingedge .Md is, onethreadah'ead ofjthe Qtherwise than necessitated by he 5991 .2 f the trailing edge He. Thegleading" and .itr'ailing appended claims. v H g p v edges IAd, and Me arethus sparsedi'epert thesdis- We claim'as our invention;

tan'ceofjon e screw thread] L A threadprotectoradapted for closing the L'lhe dished member'l'l'is preieriab y somewhat Ib t f n in rna l h d memberwhich ta ns h P ot or n- :s tedrp t b a f preresilientso tha theieading-endtranmgeege; comprises a' centrally ape rtured flat disk, a

Md and [4e tend to somewhat 'ree am'tiieir fr stueconic l member havi a he d r a original aligned position andthereby cause'th'e the small end and smaller than the disk abutperipheral edge 14b to grip the thread! which ting "oneiace of the disk and covering the aper the edge is seated. This gripping aetmnmainture' in said.disk, r neans securing saidhead poli- '40 'tion to the disk; said frusto-co nical member haw vents accidental;displacement of thejprotector. i cut extending inwa l LQ Q f, t base ,yThe staplelS; as shown in lFigure 4', may-have thereofal ong he side wall' for'an appr a pointed ends |5a adapted to be forced succesdistanceito pro id a'flexible taperingskirthaW sively throughflhe head ;Haotthe member l4 'ing afdefiectable'basewith a'leadedgeadapted .and thence' jthrough the diskwl3;g 1IThe;'legs of for enteringthe groove of-the"threadinthe'inthegstaple are; then bent outwardly; as shown in ternally threaded" member" to direct the base in Figures. 1; and 31 over. the outer lace. .of; the -disk said; groove i drx dr win h disk" n the y-aw yffrom1the screwedriver. slots gvl3a to re mouth of the port, and said aperture iii-the disk tain :the parts in jafiixed; assembled relation. Q pma -With t d P t n 9 t r Alternatively, of course, holes could ib'eliplfQvided o l m e 'D O GQ 0105601 b tbm 15001 through thehead Ma and through; theycentral eceiving 'ecessi a portion .of 'the disk I 31..to rec eivea':.f,astener,,,orv I 2; Athreadprotectoradaptedfor closingthe the partscould be .securedtogetherfin any other mouth ofan internally threaded memberwhich manner, as by means ofa ;g1ue ;bond,fa' lrivet'or omp i a s nti lly fla -fibre b rddie the like. 1..

7' 7 v f *a-frusto-conical fibre member having a head Wall j In Figures 5 ,and;6 a seconderhbodiment 0f 'at'the small end thereof and a but along the the invention is illustrated. VAsjthereinshown side'fwallt e eo e t d inwaidlyfi'omvthe thread protector l6 icomposedaof;a,.substan base thereof for an appreciable distance to pro tially. flatfiber disk fl! somewhatthicker than vide a flexible skirt, said head wall being: of l the member 1420f: the iprotector' ll has the :pesmaller diameter than the disk, a wire staple vripheral edge thereofcbeveledjas at; lla'jtoa pro.-

se'curingthe-head wall tolthe central portionof vi-dea threadgroove. engaging & edge; l'7b.L .The the-disk, said flexible skirt with thecut therein disk. IT has. a radial cut LI 10. extending inwardly having a' leading' edge on one *side time cut fromthe peripheral edge. llbto define'aleadd a t ailing edge on the othersi'de of the cut ing. edge, I'Id adapted toenter the groove of. a adapted-tome oflset from"each other a selected thread andaltrailing tedge :Tl 1e ;adapted' to be amount for producinga self -adjusting thread displacedfrom the leading edge-111d when'Tthe groove engaging-base edge on the skirt adapted :disk' l1.has'peripheralmedge I-Tbthereofthreaded to enter the/threadgroo ve of the internally into" the groove of. a.thread'.;"? I threadedmemberand follow the'pitch of the e The center of the disk. l-lihas a slot Jlf'there- 7 thread for drawing the disk "against the mouth through receivinga; inetal cup I 8 in-tight"enof the internally threaded member. agement therewith;'Theiicup l-hasan ou't- V 1 a i turned flange l8a engaging the -top' fac e ofthe v I a THEODORE R.-THOREN.

'diskl'landwhen the flange l.8a is engaged-on J V BILL C. BREDE NBE CK.A. 

